Torn
by thebigwolf
Summary: Rhysand runs a branch for a top notch book publishing company, caught in the web of his boss's daughter. Tamlin works for the same company, running a branch in a nearby state. What happens when Feyre becomes Tamlin's new secretary, showing Rhys he is worth more than he believes, but torn to her commitments to Tamlin?


Of three things I was certain;

If you wanted to get anywhere in life, you had to work for it.

Never trust anyone – especially a pretty woman.

Fuck without any feelings.

All of which I was doing, as I climaxed into Amarantha. It wasn't sure if I should exactly call it a climax, which would imply a release for me. In fact, having sex with Amarantha was anything _but_ a release. It was a duty, at this point. Keep the boss's daughter happy, so she didn't whisper in his ear that maybe my position was no longer required, that my staff were not giving as much as they were taking. A threat made several times, each one heavier than the last.

Ams was a beautiful woman, to society's standards. But as I looked at her, pulling my pants back up, all I could feel was disgust. She watched me with narrowed eyes, her golden red hair fanned out on my desk. She was completely naked, her pale skin free of any blemishes, her body complete perfection. Ams had discovered what her power was at a young age, and had never stopped honing it, making it into a dangerous weapon.

"That was lovely, Rhys," she smiled slowly, her eyes scanning my body. She reminded me of a big cat, with those long, slender limbs and always watching eyes. Sometimes, I half expected to see fangs when she smiled.

I forced a smile, wondering if she saw right through it. "Nothing like a good desk fucking to start the day."

"Indeed," she murmured, stretching up to finally pull her clothes on. I wanted to shove her out of my office, but I knew I had to pretend her being in here was fine, that I actually enjoyed our weekly sexual encounters. I swallowed hard.

"What's on your agenda today?" she asked, slipping her bra on. She jerked a head for me to do the clasps in the back. I tried to avoid touching her skin as much as possible as I obeyed, stepping back as soon as the bra was hooked into place.

"I'm going to -," I hesitated, knowing when she heard my answer she would give me a feral smile. I wondered if she actually already knew what I had to do today. I forged on. "To Tamlin's branch, today."

She did give me a wicked smile. "Oh? Best friends reunited. I love a happy story."

I clenched my jaw, wondering how severe the consequences would be if I picked her up and tossed her out the window. The idea was tempting, the windows already open as if inviting her body to fly through them. I would throw her through the blinds. I forced another smile.

"My relationship with Tamlin remains the same," I said, "But your father instructed me to go by to see how things are doing. Sales in his department have been slow." I tried to add an extra bite into those last words, to show Amarantha that I would take joy in showing up at Tamlin's, that I was eager to throw what he was doing wrong in his face. That's how you got by in this world, you faked it until you made it. Then you clung with everything you had to the image you constructed, forcing it to feel real. To become real.

Am slid into her tight, gray dress, her eyes never leaving my face. Goddam, how had I gotten myself into this? Sleeping with a tiger.

"Well," she drawled, "Don't let me keep you. Tell Tamlin I said _hello._ " The word was heavy and full of meaning. It was no secret that Tamlin was on Am's list of wanted sexual conquests. Some how, Tamlin had held fast. I wondered what that said about me – I had so easily taken the role of Am's whore, years ago. _Years._ I watched as she strode out of my office, leaving the door open. She didn't look back at me.

I could see Cassian's head poking out of his cubicle, his nostrils flaring. I gave him a curt nod, turning to straighten up my desk. When Am wanted me, she got me. It didn't matter if I was about to head into a meeting, that I was behind on paperwork or manuscripts. Her father's book publishing company meant nothing to her, it was just a means to an end. A means to coerce men into fucking her and pretending that they wanted it. I suppose some men did enjoy it, but I couldn't imagine how.

Cassian strode into my office without knocking. "What was she doing here so early?" he snapped, his anger not directed towards me. I left my back towards one of my closest friends as I set my laptop back on my desk, picking up the pens that had been thrown to the floor in what sounded like passion, but was just dominance.

"She can't stay away from me," I said dryly. I heard the office door shut.

"We could video her, you know," Cassian spoke so quietly that I wasn't sure I heard him. I twisted around.

" _Video_ her?" I let out a sharp laugh. "You think I haven't thought about that?"

Cassian went on, as if I hadn't spoken. "We could video her, show how she really is. That she is using her father's position to bully you. To force you to – "he stopped, looking away. I felt embarrassed, and so did he. How could such a tiny woman have such power over all of us?

"My point is, we get her on tape talking about how she owns you," Cassian ran a hand over his face, looking back up at me, "We get proof that she's a psychotic bitch, and then we send it to all of the news outlets and to her father."

I leaned against my desk, staring at the carpet, wishing that Cassian's idea was a new one, that I hadn't already been obsessed on how to get out of this arrangement. In theory, I supposed it didn't sound bad. Sleep with a beautiful woman to insure your job, that your friend's jobs, stayed intact? What was so wrong with that?

 _Because you don't want to sleep with her,_ a voice whispered in my head. I felt another wave of embarrassment. I was a man, I shouldn't be this upset over sex. But lately, the despair had been getting worse. Two years I had suffered through Am's obsession. I had thought it would be a passing attraction, that she would be done with me after a few months and move on to the next victim in her father's company, leaving me and my staff alone. Hybern Publishing was the top publishing company in the States, with branches in Europe as well. How had Am not found another man to move on to? Hadn't she grown bored of me, yet?

"You shouldn't be doing this for us," Cassian said softly. I snapped my gaze up to him.

"She would have us all fired," I said sharply, "And ruin our names. We would never work with publishing again, anywhere. Not even a newspaper would hire us." I took a breath. I wished Amarantha 's hold on me were that simple. That this was just over a job and that she didn't have something much darker over me. "Cassian, it's not a big deal. I sleep with her a few times a week, I let her think she's in control."

"She _is_ in control," Cassian snapped back, "I don't understand how this has gone on so long. If you won't contact someone about her behavior, then I will. I can't watch – I can't _watch_ her stride in and out of your office like she owns it. I can't watch how you look when she leaves, like a dog that's been kicked. Maybe you won't tell me everything she's got over you, but I'm not going to let you whore yourself out because you think you have to protect Az and Mor and me, or the rest of the staff."

I slammed my hand on my desk. Enough. "Cassian," I said through gritted teeth, "Do not tell anyone about this. Do _not._ "

I watched his mouth drop slightly. Sure, I was their boss, in terms of work. But I never bossed my staff around. I never pulled the boss card. We were a team.

"You have to do something, soon," he said stiffly, turning out of my office and slamming the door behind him. I ran a hand over my face. I had never planned on telling Cassian the nature of my relationship with Am, but my friends were smart. And Am didn't make it a secret, she reveled in people knowing she had men in the palm of her hand. She came into my office whenever she wished, locking the door behind her and shutting the blinds on the windows. Sometimes, she tried to leave those open, too.

But it wasn't just about the jobs. Of course, my staff's jobs were important to me. Many had families, and Az, Mor and Cassian were longtime friends. I wouldn't let them loose their source of income, I wouldn't let Am ruin their names in the publishing business. She would, I knew, if I ended the relationship with her. Or if she felt I wasn't doing my part in pleasing her.

Amarantha knew something much darker about me, though. Something that would ruin me if it got out. So, if I had to be her whore to protect my friends, their jobs, and to hide my shame at what she knew about me, then so be it.

I grabbed my briefcase, filled with sales reports of Tamlin's office, and left our office building to my car.

The Virginia office was almost four hours away from our Maryland branch. I was getting a late start, due to Amarantha's surprise visit and the lack of coffee was starting to hit me. I turned on the radio, letting myself focus on the random selection of artists and songs, pretending that I was just a regular publishing branch manager, going to check in with another branch. I wouldn't think about the relationship Tamlin and I had once had, or how it had fell into ruins. The feeling of hatred between us was mutual.

I stopped for lunch around Richmond, eating in the car as I finished up the trip. I had a few texts and missed calls, but I didn't bother checking from who. I wanted to be alone, for as long as I could today. I needed to get into character to face Tamlin.

I strode into the Hybern Virginia Branch, the building huge, standing out in the city. I rolled my neck, listening to each pop. Tamlin wasn't expecting me, which was good. I needed to catch him off guard. I watched as heads snapped up as I strode onto the seventeenth floor, where Tamlin's personal office was located. The chattering stopped, eyes narrowing as I passed by. I knew what they were thinking, that I had slept my way to my position. That I was nothing more than Amarantha's personal sex slave, more than willing to fuck her so that I could be promoted. I gave them all sharp smiles.

Alis had been Tamlin's secretary since he had been promoted to head this branch. I had to admit, I rather liked the woman. She didn't seem like she wanted to throw up every time she saw me, like all of Tamlin's staff did. Her desk was seated outside of Tamlin's door, almost like a guard. You couldn't see Tamlin unless Alis approved it first. I readied a softer smile for her, turning down the open hall.

Even at the other side of the hall, I could tell it wasn't Alis. Instead of a dark brown head, I saw one that was full of golden brown locks, long and falling past the woman's shoulders. She had on a simple blue blouse. I slowed my pace, surprised. I didn't like to be surprised.

The woman's brows were down in concentration as she winced at the headset. She was staring hard at the base of the phone, searching the buttons. As I got closer, I could hear the angry voice coming out of the headset.

 _"I asked for those manuscripts three days ago,"_ the voice screamed. I raised an eyebrow as high blotches of red blossomed on the girls cheeks. She gritted her teeth.

"Yes, sir," she said, though it looked like the words were killing her, "I'm trying to transfer you over to Mr. Lucien. He will-"

" _Transfer me!"_ the male voice demanded. I smirked, watching the girl's nostrils flare. I was standing right in front of her, but I wasn't even sure she knew I was there. Slowly, I reached a hand over and hit the transfer button, then typed in Lucian's extension. The girl's head snapped up, the screaming voice cutting off as he was switched to another line. I watched her eyes widen as she took me in.

"Angry client?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. The girl straightened, as if unsure if she should thank me or snap at me for helping when she didn't ask.

"Only the fourth one today," she finally said, watching me, "Are you from one of the other floors?"

God, she was pretty. What was she doing as Tamlin's secretary? She had to be new, not only because I had seen Alis just a few months ago, but because she hadn't quite figured out how to work the phone system yet. And if I had seen that face before, I would remember. Those blue gray eyes looked up at me and I felt a tug in my stomach. Her skin was soft looking, the rosy red color still on her cheeks.

"He isn't."

Both of us tore our gazes away from each other, heads snapping towards Tamlin's door. Tamlin stood with his arms crossed, his gaze narrowing on me. I swear his lip curled up.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded. I smiled lazily at him.

"The boss man sent me up here to see how big of a mess you're making."

The secretary's eyes went between us, realizing that I didn't work here. That I was someone higher up in the corporate food chain. Because, while Tamlin and I both may be labeled as branch managers, it was obvious who the one in charge was.

"Don't you mean boss lady?" Tamlin raised an eyebrow, and I could see the accusations in his eyes. I just smiled wider.

"And who is this?" I gestured towards the pretty woman, hating that I was dragging her into this, but knowing it's what Tamlin would expect. Plus, I wanted to know.

" _This,_ " Tamlin said, gesturing towards the woman, "Is none of your concern. Come into my office. Let's see what you drove up here for."

I glanced back at the woman as I strode into Tamlin's office, raising a brow when I saw she was still staring at me. I winked.

"When I get done in here, I'll show you how to work that phone," I said. Her face dropped into a scowl, and she said, so quietly I wasn't sure I heard her right,

"Prick."

I almost smiled.


End file.
